Chicago Bears: Too soon to panic after loss to Raiders

The Chicago Bears came out flat on Sunday. The team should have beaten the Raiders easily, but the loss does not mean we should start to panic.

The Chicago Bears came out flat, worked back to take the lead, and then blew it to lose to the Raiders in London. This loss hurt. The Raiders never should have won this game, but unfortunately, I called it in my article earlier about this being a potential trap game.

With how slow the team looked, one could wonder if waiting until Friday to travel to London was a mistake. Matt Nagy said the travel had nothing to do with it, but the Raiders left on Monday. They did not look as tired. Jet lag is a real issue when it comes to international travel, and the Chicago Bears had less time for their bodies to adjust.

The defensive front was getting manhandled by the Raiders offensive line. Khalil Mack was almost non-existent in a game where he should have flourished. This was not the same defense that we have come to expect. Joshua Jacobs is a good running back, but he had giant holes to run through before being touched.

Losing Akiem Hicks to a nasty elbow injury was not a great way to start the game, but they showed up without him against the leading rusher (Dalvin Cook) in Week 4. They held Cook to less than 40 yards rushing, yet Jacobs goes off for over 120 yards? Face it, the defense was not ready for this game. They looked awful in the first half, found a groove and then lost it again in the fourth quarter.

The offense was more of the same. Chase Daniel had two really awful interceptions. He had a third one too but was saved by a penalty. The running game could not get going as the offensive line could not create any holes once again. The only guy who showed up for four quarters was once again Allen Robinson. Hopefully, losing this game is some sort of wake up call to everyone else.

The thing is, we need to not overreact. As I type this, I am still angry. This team should be 4-1 right now. They even had a chance to be 5-0 based on the first loss to the Packers on opening night. However, the team could also easily be 2-3 right now too. They stole a win from Denver in Week 2 that could have easily been another loss.

How the team finishes the next five weeks after the bye week will likely determine their season. Remember, as bad as Mitchell Trubisky struggled to start the year, the Chicago Bears just went 1-1 with their backup quarterback. Hopefully, Trubisky will be back after the bye week and the coaching staff and defense realize they cannot overlook any other teams this season.

The Bears will be facing off against the New Orleans Saints immediately after the bye week. The Saints are without Drew Brees, but Teddy Bridgewater has looked decent in limited action. He had a strong game against the Buccaneers this week where he threw for 314 yards and four touchdowns. The Bears defense is not the Buccaneers defense though.

After the Saints, the Bears will be going up against the Los Angeles Chargers. A team that just lost 20-13 to the Denver Broncos. This game is at home too, which should definitely benefit the Chicago Bears. After the Chargers, the team goes up against a 3-2 Eagles team. An Eagles team that has also been very up and down this year, beating the Packers, but also losing to the Lions and Falcons.

Speaking of the Lions, the Chicago Bears will be seeing them during this five-game stretch as well. The Lions started the year better than I expected. They were close to beating the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 4. Yet, that team usually finds a way to lose and the Bears should be able to handle them. Yet, they better not let it become another Raiders game as the last team they face during this stretch is the Los Angeles Rams. This year, they travel to L.A.

If the Chicago Bears can find a way to be 3-2 or better during that span of games, then the team will still be in contention for the playoffs. That would make them 6-4 on the season with three more divisional games left to play. This is why we should not panic. As bad as the offense has looked most games, we know they can be better. As bad as the defense looked against the Raiders, we know that is not how this unit plays football.

In fact, if we look back at 2018, this loss to the Raiders is similar to the game they lost to the Miami Dolphins. A game where the defense was gassed because of the extreme heat and humidity. It might not feel like it, but the Bears were actually 3-2 at this point last season coming off that horrible loss to the Dolphins.

I get it though. Fans are angry. Hell, as I stated, I am still angry. The Raiders tried to gift the Chicago Bears a victory and they could not hold onto a 4th quarter lead. We just need to remember to take a deep breath. This loss is not the end of the season.

The Chicago Bears will get their bye week. The team will be able to get a little healthier, and hopefully, the coaching staff can make the changes needed to fix the team’s weaknesses before facing the Saints. Too much football left this season to start to panic.